Where You Lay Your Head At Night
by Heel Princess
Summary: Stephanie McMahon/Chris Jericho/Trish Stratus. Chris is hung up on Stephanie but when a certian blonde comes along who just might change that, is the billion dollar princess really out of the picture? Read and Review Please :
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so new fic, another idea i've had bottled up for a while, got inspired by a song tonight so im starting it. :) hope you like, read and review please ... I want your feedback about if i should continue...or quit it so let me know if you like :) **

_Her hand trailed up his inner thigh, tracing the patterns on his wrestling gear as she went. "I've missed you so much, I was wrong to end things between us." _

_Chris looked up to meet the hazel eyes of his former lover, he had missed her too, more then she could ever possibly understand. He decided it was best to leave words behind for now as he roughly tangled his hands in her brown hair, pulling her in for the passionate kiss he had been craving since her lips started moving. _

_It was breath taking, her hot tongue dancing with his, fighting for dominance in the lust filled action. "God Steph I need you." He groaned, talking into her mouth._

_She smiled against his words, "I'm yours." The brunette said seductively, breaking the kiss momentarily to rid her self of the cotton confinement of her t-shirt. _

_The site of her naked upper body made his mouth go dry, he couldn't help but wet his lips at what he saw. _

_Her smile turned into a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips, "Like what you see Jericho."_

_The only thing he could do was nod in approval before she laughed and climbed into his lap, reaching beneath her to gently stroke him through the soft spandex material. "I want you so bad." He growled, arching his head backward at the pleasure she was giving him. _

_Stephanie's lips met his ear, "Then take me." _

_He rolled her over in one swift motion, this was it he was finally going to have her again. She was finally back where she belonged._

"Chris," A voice boomed, and suddenly he could feel someone shaking him, "Chris wake up."

One eye fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the morning light creeping in the window, then the other. What was going on, did he fall asleep on Stephanie?

Chris was quick to take in his surroundings and realise he wasn't in his bedroom anymore. Where was he? It was early and his state of sleep had him rather confused.

"Wake up lazy bones we're about to land."

His eyes focused more and he moved his gaze to find the face that belonged to the voice. It was Trish Stratus, she was sitting there beside him and he suddenly knew where he was. He was on a flight to New York for the next Raw taping, not in bed with Steph; he had dreamt the whole thing.

"I'm up, I'm up." He grumbled, sitting up straight from the slouched position he had been napping in.

She smiled down at him kindly, "I hated to wake you, you looked so cute sleeping, but I didn't want to take the chance that you'd get left on the plane and woken up by some cranky stewardess, I know how the boys love to rib you."

He smiled back at her, "Thanks." Chris said softly, did she just call him cute? Was Trish Stratus flirting with him?

Chris watched the woman attentively, the sun striking her pretty face as she nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Um I don't know what your plans are for after the show but I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab something to eat with me?" Her voice was timid and she didn't even look up, her eyes locked with the floor, "That is if your not too busy, or you haven't already eaten."

"No I haven't eaten yet, and no plans…getting a bite with you sounds good."

Trish looked up at him, a slight blush creeping in on her cheeks, "Really?"

Neither of them had noticed but the plane had already landed, "Yeah," He replied standing up and grabbing his bag from the overhead compartment, "So I'll meet you after the show?"

"Ok." She said with a smile, watching him as he brushed past her and down the isle with his carry on.

"Later Trish," He called out as he stepped off the aircraft. Maybe this was just what he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok so i have decided that this fic will have shorter chapters for the first little while, i think it will help with the flow of it and make me update faster. Thanks for the positive response so far :) keep reading and reviewing and i'll keep dishing it out.**

Chris whipped the beads of sweat of his forehead with the back of his arm, what a match. He felt as though as body had been ran over with a steam roller and the thought of just sitting down sounded wonderful.

He made his way down the hallway of the arena, wondering why the hell the dressing room had to be so far away from gorilla, when he spotted her…Stephanie.

She was sitting alone at a small desk, looking over a stack of papers, the dim light of the lamp highlighting her bone structure. The woman was breath taking; she even made doing production work look glamorous. Chris wanted to talk to her, say something, anything, to break the awkward silence that formed between them. Neither one of them had known what to say since she made her decision, but the fact that they worked together made it inevitable. Eventually they would have to speak, because he didn't want to work anywhere else and as the bosses daughter it was a pretty safe bet to say she wasn't going anywhere either.

Stephanie momentarily looked up from her scripts for the evening and her eyes instantly locked with his. Her face curled into a small smile, which he quickly returned to seal the unspoken bond between them.

It was comforting to see her smile at him like that, at least it meant in some small way she still cared for him. She was the one after all to end things; it wasn't like he had ever hurt her in any way. Actually it was the opposite; it was his heart that was ripped to tiny pieces at her manicured hands, not the other way around.

"Hey Chris,"

He turned around to see Trish Stratus standing there, he was happy to see her yet upset that his moment with Stephanie was ruined, "Oh hey Trish."

She smiled at him, "Congrats on your win tonight."

"Thanks." He replied, feeling uncomfortable with the fact the Stephanie might be watching them.

"So are we still on for tonight?" Trish asked cheerfully, reaching out to gently touch his arm.

He looked down at her hand on him then turned his head to look at Stephanie, his hazel eyes meeting blue before he answered her, "Yeah I just need to grab a shower, I'll meet you at the parking garage in 20?"

"Sounds like a plan," She responded, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before she took off down the hallway.

He didn't look back at Stephanie again, he couldn't.


	3. Chapter 3

**Another update for you lovly reviews, kepp letting me know what you think of it all. :) probably only a couple more building chapters before the real drama insues :)**

By the time they left the arena it was pretty late, there wasn't really much of anything open and Jericho didn't feel like a big fancy sit down dinner anyway. So instead he came up with idea of strolling around New York and just grabbing an ice cream cone with Trish.

It was pretty awkward, Chris had no idea what to say to her, after all he didn't really know her that well. Sure they had been working together for a while but that didn't change the fact that she was practically a stranger to him. Besides what she had done in wrestling and the few little things he had heard here and there he didn't know much about her at all.

"So tell me about yourself." He said meekly, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets as the walked. "I mean we've been working here almost the same amount of time and I really don't know a lot about you, aside from the fact that you guarantee Stratusfaction that is."

She giggled at his attempt as humour, "There isn't much to tell really, I was born and raised in Toronto, I'm part Greek, I have two sisters and have I have been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember, thus why I ended up in this crazy business…" Trish cut herself off mid sentence, "Listen to me babble on," She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear, "I do it when I'm nervous, sorry."

He smiled down at her, he thought it was sweet that she felt nervous around him, "That's ok, you're cute when you're nervous."

"Just like your cute when you're sleeping?" She asked, linking her arm with his.

"Something like that."

They walked and talked like that for what felt like hours, and surprisingly it was kind of…nice. Chris couldn't really believe that he was having a good time with anyone other then Stephanie but none the less he was glad that he had given Trish a chance.

"What are you thinking about?" She questioned, looking up at him before she rested her head peacefully on his shoulder.

Chris looked over at her, her blonde hair almost glowing in the dark and he was taken back with how she could make his jacket wrapped around her look like the most beautiful designer dress. He smiled, "I was thinking that I'm really happy to be here with you right now."

His words seem to cause her to snuggle closer and he accepted that, moving his arm to wrap it protectively around her. "Me too." She said looking up at him.

He watched as her eyes closed and she leaned foreword, waiting for him to kill the space between them. Chris accepted her offer, gently sweeping his lips across her trembling ones, her small arms snaking up around his neck, trying desperately to get as close to him as physically possible.

Of course he wasn't complaining, she was an attractive, sweet girl, who tonight he found out he had a lot in common with. No he wasn't complaining at all, he simply held her, duelling his tongue with hers in the moonlight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Longest and Fav chappy to date, Let me know what you think by reading and reviewing :) Thanks guys!**

Chris's hands were clammy as he knocked then opened the door to the makeshift office that was done up in a small room of the arena. One of the backstage crewmembers had informed him that the boss was looking for him, so of course he rushed to see him. When Vince McMahon asks to see you, you don't dilly daddle, every second of his that is wasted is money down the drain.

Walking into the office he was nervous, Vince didn't usually ask to see you on such short notice, there was usually a meeting scheduled weeks in advance. This was completely out of character and it worried Chris, he just hoped it wasn't bad news…he didn't want to end up on the unemployed list or the jobbers list for that matter.

"You asked to see me sir." He spoke, his voice cracking as he watched the desk chair spin around.

"Sir?" The brunette asked, rolling a pencil between her thumb and index finger, "Not the most flattering thing I've been called but then again not the worst I suppose."

Shock washed over his face as he ran his hand back through his blonde hair, "Stephanie, I was expecting your father. They said my boss wanted to see me."

A small laughed escaped her lips, "You know I play a huge role in this company, and dad was away for the night so he left me in charge."

"Oh." Chris said in response, unsure of what else to say. The situation was pretty awkward; it was the first time they had spoken in months.

It was silent for a while, Stephanie just smiling up at him. To break the tension he spoke again, "So, you wanted to see me?" He asked, curiosity clear in his voice as he took a seat across from her at the oak desk.

"I did." She said matter-of –factly, "So should I just cut to the chase?"

Wanting to get out of the uncomfortable situation as soon as possible he responded, "Please." Although it would be a lie if he said he didn't enjoy being so close to her, it was quite a rush. And there little interaction a few days ago only intrigued him further now that he was able to speak to her. She still has the same calm voice, the same sweet sounding accent that drove him mad with desire all those nights. It was the same voice that called his name over and over, the same voice he'd love to hear whispering in his ear every night again.

"Well I've been hearing some things…" She began, the tone of her voice becoming more serious.

"Things?" He questioned, unsure as to what she was referring. He didn't do anything that would put his spot at risk; at least he didn't think he had done anything wrong.

Stephanie's smile turned into a smirk, "I heard that you went on a date with our lovely Ms. Stratus, and after seeing you two interact the other evening with my own two eyes I would really like to know the truth Chris."

His eyebrows lowered, was she really asking him about his personal life? "Um, not to be rude Stephanie but I don't think that's really anyone's business but mine and Trish's. I don't remember there being a company policy about superstars and divas dating."

The tone of his voice and the way in which he spoke to her made Stephanie satisfied with herself. "This has nothing to do with the company at all…" She explained, intentionally wetting her lips. "Chris this has to do with me and you."

"Me and you? I didn't think there was a me and you."

She laughed again, leaning over the desk slightly, "We both know that's a crock of shit Christopher."

He smiled at her as she cussed; leave it to Stephanie to be blunt. And boy oh boy was she good at being blunt. Chris took the time to stop and look at her, something he had forced himself not to do since he saw her face. He wanted to keep his thoughts of her on a business level but that idea flew out the window when her pink tongue darted across her bottom lip seductively. "What are you trying to say Stephanie? That you asked me in here because you're jealous that I'm seeing Trish?" Two could play the blunt game.

"I called you in here because I miss you." She retorted, watching him eye her up and down. She hadn't lost him yet. Smiling again she reached for the clip in her hair, yanking it out to let her brown locks cascade down around her shoulders.

Deciding it was best not to move Chris just sat there and swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't want to look like a fool by jumping to conclusions, but he didn't have to do anything at all because it was Stephanie that climbed up over the desk, crawling on her hands and knees to meet him, locking her lips with his.

This was everything he had been dreaming about since she told him it was over six months ago, and now it was finally happening. He took her kiss as the go ahead and stood up, his mouth never leaving hers. Chris smiled against her lips and locked his arms around her, shoving her back onto the desk, knocking the things resting on its left side crashing to the floor.

It was the sound of glass shattering that pulled him back to reality, causing him to break the heated kiss. He bent down to pick up the frame and when he turned it around it made him frown. The broken picture was of her and him, Hunter and Stephanie…it was a clear sign that this was wrong. They were in town two days and she had found time to place a picture of them on her desk.

"This isn't right." He told her, laying the shattered frame back on the desk. "You made your choice, and as much as I hate the outcome I have to accept it. I'm trying to move on Stephanie, don't make it harder for me. You're getting your happy ending, at least let me try to find mine."

Stephanie watched as Chris walked out of the office, "God damn it father." She cursed, livid that her moment was ruined.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this one took so long to post, hope your still with me! :) Read and Review please...**

Chris left the office bewildered and confused, what was Stephanie trying to do to him? He wanted to move on, he wanted to let go like she had asked him to, but now she was throwing all that out the window and throwing herself at him. He didn't understand her, if she wanted to end things, if she was so sure she didn't love him, then why do all this now? It didn't make sense. And while it was driving him crazy, he didn't want to search for answers. He just wanted to try and forget the whole thing happened…except his "little friend" had other ideas.

He bolted down the hallway, running as fast as his legs would take him in desperate search of the locker room. A cold shower was calling his name, mainly because he had to solve his little "problem" before he saw anyone.

Then the next thing he knew he wasn't running anymore, almost as if he had hit a wall. Looking around he noticed Trish on the floor, in his careless state he had run into her. "Oh god Trish I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." Chris told her, extending his hand to help her off the floor.

Trish smiled at him and proceeded to dust off the back of her pants, "No harm done, but where's the fire babe?"

"Huh?"

"You were running from the office like a bat out of hell, is everything alright?" The blonde asked sweetly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

This situation couldn't get much worse, and Chris had to make sure that his new girlfriend didn't notice that he had come from Stephanie's office with a _souvenir._ "Everything's great." He spat nervously as he began to frantically aces the area praying to god that the locker room would be close.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips in relief when he noticed it was only two doors down. "But I've really got to go," He said cupping himself, he couldn't take the chance that she would notice that he was abruptly standing at attention at the hands of his ex girlfriend.

There was _one_ thing he was thankful for however and that was that Trish had no idea that Stephanie and him had ever been involved. It wasn't a widely known relationship, which he was usually upset about but tonight he was more then grateful. Because a stiffy from an ex wasn't exactly the best way to help start a blossoming relationship. Then again he didn't know that she was in charge tonight so maybe Trish had no idea Vince wasn't around either.

She laughed lightly and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, something that in the past week Chris had grown found of. The simple form of affection made Chris smile every time, and right now it made him feel guilty…he just needed to stay away from the billion-dollar princess and everything would be fine. But it seems to be easier said then done.

"See you later." She said sweetly, pulling him from his thoughts.

He kissed her forehead quickly in response and headed for that precious door to the locker room.

The cold water rushed over Chris's body and he instantly felt relieved, that was definitely a close call. He knew that kissing Stephanie was wrong, and he didn't want to hurt Trish, really it was the last thing he wanted. But it seemed to be a moth to flame situation, the undeniable attraction between him and the buxom brunette was impossible to fight.

Old habits die hard, and Stephanie was just so familiar to him. Six months ago she was his world, and had been for quite a while, so having her ripped away from him prevented the closer he needed. Watching her live happily ever after with Paul, or Hunter, as everyone seemed to call him, was too much to handle.

Hunter seemed to be a good name for him anyway, it was cold and detached, and Paul never really could separate his in ring persona from who he was anyway. It suited him just fine, besides Chris didn't have enough respect for him to call him anything else anyway.

When he was sure the icy water had taken the desired effect he quickly grabbed at towel and stepped out of the shower. Chris nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder; he swung around quickly fists in the air ready for a fight.

"Wo dude cool it, it's just me."

The Winnipeg native sighed in relief at the sight of his best friend Jay, better known to in the wrestling world as Christian. "You scared the shit out of me."

A laughed rolled off Jay's lips, "I just touched you, what the hells gotten into you?"

"Women." Chris said abruptly.

Jay smirked, "Women are _getting_ into you? Shouldn't you be _getting_ into women bro?"

Chris shoved him lightly, "Hardy har har ass wipe, you know damn well what I mean." Leave it to Jay Reso to make a joke out of anything and everything possible.

"I do, but I enjoy pissing you off too much to let things like that slide." He said snidely, rubbing his jaw lightly, while he soaked up the less then amused state that Chris was in.

"You know what? Fuck you!" He spat, quickly growing tired of the other Canadians antics.

He smiled, "Wow you are worked up aren't you? Why are you complaining about women, didn't I see you prancing around with the breath taking Ms. Stratus all week?"

Chris ran a hand back through his blonde hair in frustration. "She has nothing to do with it."

Jays brow arched in curiosity, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, it's Steph that's got me so on edge." He responded, grabbing his bag from his locker, the sooner he changed the sooner he could get out of here and that was another week away from Stephanie.

"Steph?" Jay repeated questioningly, completely taken back by her name rolling of his friend's lips, resisting the urge to make a joke about Chris on Edge aka Adam at the moment, "I thought she was out of the picture."

Slamming the locker shut he responded, "So did I."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took so long for me to update, my hard drive crashed three days ago and i lost everything. so i finally got some time to write just now. Then i couldnt really remember what this chapter was supposed to be but now here it is, hope you enjoy:)**

"_Stephanie please, I can't handle this, you have to stop." _

_He watched intently as her face twisted into a smile. She was perched in his lap, her red nails running through his long hair like wildfire. "Chris can you honestly tell me that you want me to get out of your lap right now?" _

_Chris looked down at her legs wrap around his waist then trailed his eyes back up, taking in every inch of her breath taking body. Of course he didn't, not at all...not even a little bit. What he really wanted to do was reach out and rip off the matching bra and panties she was wearing. _

_She had walked into his room in that and only that, he was surprised that she had the guts to stroll aimlessly through the hotel halls in next to nothing but he shouldn't have been. He knew Stephanie, so he should have expected nothing less from her. It was her method of seduction, and he loved it. _

"_Chris darling, you still haven't answered me." The brunette chimed in, moving her hands from his head to run them down his chest. "Do you really want me to get up? If you do I'll leave right now, no questions asked."_

_He thought again for a second before he responded, "Yes, I do want you to get up."_

_Bewildered she climbed off him, her smile fading away. She looked rather hurt and Chris thought it was so cute when she stepped towards the door. "But only so I can lay you down over there." He finished, watching her head swing around, the grin re-emerging on her gorgeous face as he pointed to the king sized bed. "I need you Stephanie McMahon, I can't live without you."_

_Then just when he was about to touch her he heard the phone ring._

Chris's eyes fluttered open, and he reached out for the phone in his groggy state. It was then that he realised he was completely alone...and he had been once again dreaming about Stephanie. "Great, just great...even when I fall asleep she haunts me."

He hit the little green button, not bothering to check the caller id. "Hello." He said slowly, trying to tear his mind away from the scantily glad vixen of his dream.

"Hey Chris, did I wake you?"

Her voice instantly registered in his mind and he didn't want her to feel bad for waking him, so he lied to her. She always felt bad for the littlest things, and he didn't want her profusely apologizing over nothing. "No Trish I was just resting my eye that's all, what's up?"

"Just wanted to check on you, you were acting kind of funny earlier so I just wanted to make sure everything was ok." She said sweetly.

He could picture her now, in her pyjamas with her hair down around her shoulders, twirling the phone cord in her hand. "I'm fine, was just a little wound up. Nothing to worry about, I'm fine now that I'm talking to you." Once the words left his lips he couldn't believe he was saying that to her, but he could practically hear her smiling and he made him smile.

"You're too sweet."

She might not think that if she knew what was really going on earlier, or what he was just dreaming about. "Well let's not go spreading that around, I do have an image to uphold." He said with a laugh.

He could hear her sigh on the other end of the line, "I promise I won't go tell your friends about how sweet you are."

His eyes moved to the clock that read three a.m., what was she doing up so late? And almost instantly he got an answer, "I have to admit I lied a little about why I called..."

"Oh yeah?"

"I _was_ checking in to see if everything was ok...but I had more selfish reasons to pick up the phone." She admitted.

Well that certainly got his attention, Trish selfish? It just didn't fit. "I don't believe that."

Trish laughed lightly, "I really couldn't sleep. I was thinking about you, about us..." The blonde trailed off.

Did she just say us? Chris did think of her sort of as his girlfriend, but it was more of an assumption then anything else. They never officially declared themselves anything. She just seemed to enjoy his company and he in turn enjoyed hers.

"I think I'm falling in love with you Chris."

Her statement pulled him from his thoughts, and he almost dropped the cell phone from his hands. Maybe some people liked to throw around those words but he didn't. Saying that meant something to Chris, and he didn't know what to say back.

Luckily he didn't have to say anything at all because she just kept talking, "So I knew then why I couldn't sleep."

"Why?" He asked her, still taken back by her sudden admittance.

"Because I needed to say good night to you first." She responded.

He smiled when she didn't push him to say the same thing back to her that she had said, "Good night doll face."

"Goodnight Christopher."

The Winnipeg native hung up the phone not knowing what to do. He was still so shocked that in the short amount of time they had spent together Trish was sure that she was having strong feelings for him. Chris liked Trish, but he didn't think he loved her...at least not yet. There was one thing standing in the way of that, correction, one person. And he knew that if he didn't resolve things with Stephanie for good he wouldn't be able to move on.

But could he let go? He didn't know, but he did know one thing and that was that he had to try. Because he didn't want to hurt Trish, she deserved better.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took so long, im having mad writers block with this.....read and review please.....sorry again.**

Another week came and went, and everything was eating Chris up inside. He hated that he wanted her, he wanted to just forget she ever existed but that was hard to do when she was impossible to rid from his life. He wasn't about to leave his job to avoid her, and being born a McMahon meant she wasn't going anywhere either. Chris just had to man up, and face her.

He just had hash out everything with her, let her know that while just a little while ago he would have been all over her that that didn't hold true anymore. The Canadian had to let Stephanie know that he was moving on...without her this time. He had to make it clear that she couldn't just walk back into his life and expect him to be waiting...he was ready to let go, and she had to let him do that.

Trish was a sweet girl, who genuinely seemed to care about him. It seemed all Stephanie wanted was a sexy romp like the good old days. Back then he knew she loved him, but when she couldn't leave Paul for him he felt like all the love died on her side. Because ultimately you'd do anything for the one you loved, and if she couldn't do the one thing they needed to be together, how much could she really care?

About eight months ago she was his everything, and then suddenly she didn't want to be his anything anymore. Chris didn't understand it, they had been talking about her moving in with him, the subject of marriage came up...then out of the blue she told him it was over.

They had been seeing each other just shy of six months, she and Hunter had been separated at the time and she swore she'd never see him again. The affair was incredibly intense, he poured everything he had into their time together...maybe a few short months is too soon to know that you've found your soul mate, but he knew that he had.

From the start he somehow felt that he loved her, and she told him she loved him too. Stephanie had promised him forever, and then magically they were through.

His first instinct told him to fight her; they argued and screamed until he couldn't take it anymore. There was only so long you could tell some one that they were making a mistake and hear back from them that it was you who was wrong. Chris just couldn't take the heart break anymore, so he just gave up.

Never did he receive a reason.

But that was over, he couldn't think about it anymore. Because he had learned quickly in all the nights he laid awake wondering, that thinking about it over and over didn't get him anywhere. All it did was make him tired all day from the rest he wasn't getting. The past was the past and he had been learning to accept that.

Until of course she had stepped back into frame, but he couldn't change his mind now, he had to get over her.

Chris knocked softly on the door of the office that the production manager had said Stephanie was in, going over tonight's scripts and finishes. This was it, now or never. "Be strong Jericho." He said aloud and pushed the door open.

Stephanie looked up from her worked irritated, obviously angry that someone had the nerve to interrupt her. But her face suddenly changed when she realised just who was standing there, her pretty mouth drew up in a smile.

She removed her reading glasses from her face and laid them on her desk as she gazed up at him, "Chris Jericho," She said softly, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Canadian didn't bother to answer; he decided getting to the point was a better option, "Listen Steph can we talk?"

"Of course." She replied, using her hand in gesture to point out the chair in front of her, offering him a seat.

He accepted and sat down across from the buxom brunette, "Listen I just want to cut to the chase here."

"About what?" She asked coyly, folding her hands.

Chris knew that she must have known what he meant but he played along anyway, "The other week," He began and when she said nothing he continued, "In your office."

"Oh." She said, acting a little surprised. "Well...have you changed your mind?"

He smiled at her, "No I didn't come here to collect on your efforts. " He responded and her smile quickly faded, "I came here to make sure you knew where we stood, so that you know that the little moment we shared was a mistake. You made the decision to leave me and..."

Stephanie cut him off, "Last week wasn't the mistake, me leaving you was." She told him, reaching across the table and laying her hand on his.

He laced his hand with hers, thumbing the back of her hand softly, "I appreciate you saying that sweet cheeks. But we can't change the way things happened now, we just can't go back and I'm finally coming to terms with that. I pressed you to leave him, no I begged you to and you didn't do that, so there couldn't be anything between us. I pushed too hard for you to choose me and you left instead, but I think maybe it was supposed to be that way. I don't think I could have handled being with you in secret like that any longer anyway...I loved you too much. But hey, they say everything happens for a reason. You're with Paul and I'm trying to build something special with Trish. Maybe that's where we belong; I just want us to be happy Stephy."

Chris squeezed her hand tightly before letting it go and getting up to leave. He knew she understood.

She winced as the door closed, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "We belong together." Stephanie whispered. "That's what makes us happy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Determined to get back into the swing of this fic :) hope you enjoy, read and review please**

Trish picked her wrestling boots out of her gym bag and sat down on the near by bench to start lacing them up. She had a match with Molly tonight and she was determined to it give everything she had, if it was the last thing she would do, she was dead set on proving to everyone that she was worthy of becoming women's champion again.

As of late however her vision had been clouded with daydreams of her and Chris. She had been watching him from afar for so long and now it seemed like she was finally going to get to show him exactly how she felt about him. She knew that he didn't feel as strongly as she did, after all her feelings had been brewing over time...to him the idea of them was new but she was willing to wait for him to see that they were perfect for each other.

Tonight she had to forget all about him though, because her in ring work was suffering. She prided herself on constant improvement and she couldn't let anything, not even love, hurt that.

"Hey Trish."

Startled she looked up to meet the smile of another fellow Canadian, Jay Reso. "Oh hey Jay, what's up?"

He cross his arms and leaned into the lockers, "Just looking for Chris, Have you seen him?"

The blonde finished tying her boots, leaving a perfect bow visible before pulling her purple spandex down over it. "Um actually I haven't seen him." She responded, slightly hurt by the admittance. As clear minded as she wanted to be, Trish was still secretly hoping that he would stop by to wish her luck. But it looked like that wasn't going to happen now, because she was up next.

"Oh, I figured I was sure to find him here, what with a pretty thing like you for a girlfriend? How could he be anywhere else?"

Trish smiled up at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Jay reached out and tilted her jaw up to look at him, "I mean he's a lucky son of a bitch Patricia."

Before she could question his intentions any further the locker room door came open, causing Jay to step back. Trish couldn't help but let a huge grin engorge her face when she saw that it was Chris, and he wasn't empty handed...he was holding a single long stemmed rose.

"Good luck babe." He said softly, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

Her hand found the back of his neck holding him there; she'd never get sick of the feeling of him close to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He told her, pulling back...suddenly noticing his best friend standing there. "Jay what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you actually," Jay responded, sending Trish an awkward glance, "I got your voice mail and wanted to know what you were going on about....when you talk a mile a minute dude, I don't get a word you say."

Chris glared at him as if somehow he was about to shoot fire with his eyes, he didn't want to talk about the message in front of Trish...she didn't need to hear about his ex.

The woman sensed the odd animosity in the air and lightly brushed Chris's arm, "Baby my match is in five, I better head to gorilla. You boys talk." She suggested, talking his face between her hands and kissing him before leaving them alone.

Jericho extended his hand and slapped Jay upside the head, leaving him in both pain and confusion, "What was that for man?"

"Why did you bring that up in front of her? The message was about Stephanie moron."

Jay continued to rub his head, which by now was throbbing. "Well I didn't hear a word of it, sorry I don't have a decoder for your frantic voicemails."

"It wasn't frantic, I was just nervous I was on my way to see Steph." Chris retorted, running a hand back through his hair in thought.

The other man sighed heavily, "Listen Chris, I know that a lot of this really isn't my business, but Trish is a sweet girl...she deserves better then being second best..."

"You think I don't realise that?" Chris yelled, frustrated with everything. "That's why I had to see Steph."

His brow lowered, "Is it just me or did that sentence seem ass backwards...how is seeing her helping things with your girlfriend?"

Chris took a seat on the bench behind him, his face finding his hands, "I had to make sure she understood that we were completely over....letting her kiss me that night was a mistake and I had to make sure she knew that."

The other Canadian followed his lead and took a seat beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "And?"

"I think it's finally over."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry this took so fucking long, I've just been distracted by my new fic...which by the way if you haven't checked out you should give it a chance its Jericho/Lita I know that sounds odd buts it my new fav pairing and prob my fav fic I've ever done: ) but without further ADO here is the long OVERDO chapter 9...review please : )**

It had been about a week since Chris had seen Trish, and he actually found himself missing her company. He had gotten used to having her as part of his everyday life, and so having her gone for seven days to visit her family felt weird to him now. Of course they had been talking on the phone everyday, but it wasn't the same. The last time he'd seen her was after her match with Molly on Monday, she was ecstatic to be named number one contender and he never wanted to forget the way her face lit up when she smiled that hard.

Although he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about Stephanie, thoughts of her consumed a lot of his free time as well. With Trish not there to take his mind off of her, it became harder and harder to keep her from his thoughts and dreams. He couldn't seem to shake the image of the hurt on her face when he told her things were over for good, and he couldn't seem to forget the jolt of electricity he felt when she placed her hand on his to plead with him.

He wanted to tell her that they could just be together again, but he couldn't torcher himself like that any longer...he wanted all of her and she couldn't give him that. So now it seemed he was going to have to settle for none of her, she'd just have to go on without him. Hell, she had been doing great at being without him for months and now suddenly she swore to need him. It was confusing for Chris, it made his heart and his mind hurt...but he had to let go...it was the right thing to do.

The phone rang, jolting him from his confliction. "Hello." He said, picking it up and placing it to his ear.

"Hey baby," The voice cooed, Chris immediately recognizing it as belonging to the lovely blonde.

Making his way over to the soft hotel bed he spread out across it to lounge there in his boxers. "I was just thinking about you," He lied; he had been once again been caught up on thoughts of the billion dollar princess but before that it was Trish on his mind so it wasn't that big of a stretch of the truth.

He could almost hear her smiling, "Me too," She responded, "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Chris told her, switching ears, "You having fun at your mothers?"

She laughed and Chris couldn't help but feel like she was right there with him, she sounded so close, "Like getting a tooth pulled," She joked, "There's only so many days of sitting at home with her and dad that I can handle...I love my parents but there pretty boring people."

It was his turn to laugh, "That bad huh?"

"I think the main problem is that I've gotten myself used to being with you, and now nothing else stands up to that."

Chris didn't know what to say, two things were running through his head...The first thing was that he had grown attached to her to, and he to wished that he was with her, but at the same time he didn't think that he had become attached on the same level that she had.

A knock on the door pulled him from his convictions, "Trish can you hold on a sec there's someone at the door."

"Ok sure." She said cheerfully.

He made his way over to the door, his cell phone still in hand, but when he got there he couldn't believe his eyes...there she was standing on the other side, "Trish?"

She hung up her cell phone and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck as she squeezed, "I had to come home early, and I just needed to see you."

He smiled into her hair, enjoying her scent, "Missing the sexy beats that much huh?"

Smiling back at him she moved out from the embrace to look into his eyes, brushing his hair from his face she stayed silent for awhile. Trish just stood there gazing at him, holding his face in her hands until she leaned in to softly sweep her lips across his.

Chris slid his tongue over her lips to part them, she accepted him eagerly forcefully pushing him across the floor and back onto the bed. She straddled his body, never breaking the torrid kiss until she felt the need to speak, "I want to stay with you tonight." The blonde blurted, pulling her sweater up over her head to reveal a black lacy confinement.

He licked his lips at the sight before him; she was a jaw-dropper alright. "Are you sure, I mean I don't want you to regret this and think that we moved to fast?"

The Canadian woman smirked at him, "No Chris I'm not going to regret this, I want you...I want to be with you... completely. I realised when I was away from you that it hurt so much because I'm no longer falling in love with you, I am in love with you Christopher...utterly and hopelessly in love with you."

His lips folded over to make a thin line; he didn't know what to say to her, "Trish...I..."

Leaning down over him she laid a finger to his lips, "I don't need you too say it back to me Chris, I know you're not there yet. I just want you to know how I'm feeling."

Flipping her over, he kissed her quickly with passion, "How did I get so lucky?"

Her hands tangled in his hair, "I ask myself the same thing..." She stared up at him again before moving her fingers downward to unbutton his dress shirt, "Make love to me Chris..."

Chris lowered his lips to her neck, trailing butterfly kisses across it and over her collar bone. His hand moved to unzip her jeans as her hips rose to slide out of them, "I need you...." She moaned, reaching out to stroke him through the thin material of his boxer shorts.

They eagerly rid each other of their remaining clothing, aching to explore each others bodies in lust filled euphoria....and that's where things got complicated.


	10. Chapter 10

**sorry this took awhile, my fics fight with each other over who gets the attention, sadly this one has been loosing. BUT i got inspired for it today and wrote this chapter. there are between 2 and 4 chapters left, im not sure. it was supposed to be 2 but i got a new idea to throw today so im not sure if its going to make it any longer, we'll just have to wait and see, thanks for teh lovely reviews please keep them coming :)**

The pleasure he was feeling as she moved with him was overwhelming, Chris groaned and closed his eyes as she squeezed his body with her knees. But when the Winnipeg native opened his eyes Trish was no longer laying there beneath him, instead he was met with the face of Stephanie.

Startled by the image of her in his bed Chris stumbled back, falling off the edge of the mattress.

"Chris what's wrong?" She asked, looking down to the floor at him.

He shook his head a couple of times and closed his eyes again. This time when he opened them the billion dollar princess was gone and Trish was staring back at him in a mixture of fear and bewilderment. "Are you ok?" The blonde questioned.

Chris stood up and ran his hand across the back of his neck trying to hide his embarrassment. "Um, I'm fine, just suddenly not feeling so good."

"Oh," She stammered, unsure of what else fit the moment. One second he was making love to her and the next second he was flying back off the bed.

"I'm sorry Trish, I don't know what's wrong...but I think maybe we should finish this another time." Chris told her, he was too freaked out and confused to just act like nothing was wrong and keep going.

She tried to hide the hurt she was feeling as she stood up and gathered her clothes. "Ok, if that's what you feel is best."

He sighed, he knew that this wasn't making sense to her, but he couldn't exactly be honest. Chris wanted to spare her hurt, not dump it on her. Grabbing his pants he pulled them on, "I really hate to do this, I mean you came home early and everything."

Trish did her best to smile, "its ok," She whispered, walking over to hug him lightly, "You can't help that you're not feeling well, If you need me to bring you anything let me know."

Nodding at her he proceeded to softly kiss the top of her head before she turned from the awkward embrace to leave. Chris hated that everything had to be so god damn complicated in his life; couldn't he just have sex with a gorgeous girl who was ready and willing before him? It didn't make sense why couldn't he be a normal guy, why did he have to see his ex's face....hell she was never even really his girlfriend. But whatever she was to him, she sure as shit wasn't history...no matter how hard he fought to get her out of his life.

Once she was safely out of the room and in the hallway Trish released the breath she had been holding in. Never in her life had she felt so rejected and humiliated, what had she done wrong? The blonde was sure that he wasn't sick, who goes from making love one second to ill the next? The only thing that made any sense was that he just didn't want to sleep with her, but why? Trish felt safe enough to say that she was attractive, and that he was indeed attracted to her. Her heart had told her that tonight was the next logical step, but for unknown reasons it was obvious that Chris didn't agree.

Her palm found her eyes to rub away the silent tears that were falling down her face before she started her journey down the corridor.

"Hey,"

Trish looked up to meet the eyes of Jay Reso, "Hey," She said sombrely, not really wanting to talk to anyone.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his cheerful tone changing, "You look like you've been crying."

She sighed at his comment, "I don't really want to talk about it."

He moved a little closer, "Did Chris break up with you?"

The blonde shook her head, "No," Why did she have to run into him, she said she didn't want to talk about it but knowing Jay he would push things.

"Did he say something about Ste..." Jay said, before cutting himself off at the look on Trish's face, obviously Stephanie wasn't brought up either.

Trish folded her arms over her chest and looked at him inquisitively, "Say anything about what?"

"Um, nothing." Jay lied, "So if he didn't break up with you then I'm really at a lose for what else could have happened. So enlighten me Trish, what's going on here?" He asked, turning the topic of conversation quickly away from his little slip up.

Her shoulders seem to fall, "It's personal."

Being Jay he decided that making light of the situation was probably the best option, "Don't tell me Chris couldn't perform in the bedroom, I mean I knew he was dull in concert, and it even shows in the ring. But in the sack I thought maybe being a fellow Canadian he had a chance, so what was it, like three minutes...four?"

She rolled her eyes, she really wasn't in the mood for this, "I never got to find out."

"Now I'm confused."

Trish ran a hand back through her long hair, "Since you're apparently not going to let this go I'll be straight foreword with you... There we were in bed, all hot and heavy when he jumps back and tells me he feels sick and doesn't want to."

"Wait a damn minute, he actually turned you down?"

The former champ shot him a look, "Listen it hurts enough without you laughing at me."

"I wasn't going to laugh at you Trish; I was going to ask what the fuck his problem is. I mean if I didn't know better I'd swear he was gay, who could resist you?"

She did her best to smile at the compliment.

Jay was still rambling, "I mean, your beautiful, god just the thought of you all naked and eager makes me need some alone time."

Trish laughed.

His face flushed with embarrassment, "Did I just say that last part aloud?" She nodded, "Whoops sorry."

The blonde woman was still giggling when he moved even closer to her, laying a hand on her forearm, "But I meant it." He whispered.

She stared at him with a look that appeared to be a combination of both creeped out and flattered by his words. He flashed her a smile, "The beautiful part I mean." Once again she was smiling.

The next thing Trish knew Jay was leaning in, his lips inching towards hers, "Wo Jay what are you doing?" She asked stopping him before he actually kissed her, "I'm with Chris, remember, your best friend?"

He pulled away, "Yeah I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, its pretty late here, its like 2:30 AM, so i hope there arnt alot of errors in this but i wanted to get it posted. I'm trying to transistion into a smooth rotation of my fics, if your reading alot of my stuff then i've started updating 2 a day...i think this is day 3 maybe 4 of that....but im trying to do it all in order so that i dont loose focus on one fic in particular. This one is sadly almost over i think there might be two chapters left :) hope you guys are liking :) Review please**

Once Trish had left Chris made his way back towards the bed and crawled into it, he just wanted to pull the covers over his head and sleep forever. He hated turning her away like that, he knew she was upset; and she had every right to be. It wasn't because he didn't physically want to sleep with her, his body was more then ready...but once his mind flashed images of Stephanie he didn't have the heart to finish what he'd started. It just wouldn't be fair, he'd be too afraid he'd start thinking she really was Stephanie. It was better to stop things there before he did something stupid, what if he would have called her name out in the throws of passion instead of Trish's? That would have been a disaster.

But why was he seeing Steph, couldn't he just move on like a normal human being? What the hell was wrong with him, surely Trish Stratus, a goddess among women should be distraction enough. He was in bed with a cover girl and couldn't get the job done; if he was someone else he'd make fun of himself.

Sadly Chris thought he knew what was really going on, no matter how much he wished he didn't, he knew he still loved Stephanie. And even if he didn't want her there she seemed to be the only woman in his heart.

A knock on the door disrupted his thought, climbing back out of bed he hurried over to answer it, thinking he knew exactly who it was. "Trish I really think it's better if you just go." Chris said, but when he opened his eyes he realised he couldn't have been more wrong. "Stephanie?"

She smiled and brushed past him heading inside, "From the incorrect greeting can I correctly assume that there's trouble in paradise Christopher?"

"Steph what are you doing here?" He asked, shocked to see the buxom brunette in his hotel room.

Sighing she took a seat on the bed as he closed the door, "I'm going to be up front with you...I just can't do this anymore, I can't sit back and let you be with Trish. I love you Chris, I always have...I'm not willing to let go of that, or you."

He ran a hand back through his hair, what do you say to such a sudden admittance? "You were willing to let me go before, I loved you and you walked all over my heart when you stayed with Paul."

"I was wrong." She blurted, and not once had he ever heard her say that, "I should have left him them, but I didn't, I shouldn't have let you slip through my fingers. Chris I know now that you were the best thing that ever walked into my life and I died inside the day you walked out of it. I need you in my life, I love you, not Paul...I was an idiot and I'm sorry. Please give us another chance, things will be different, I promise."

Chris was just standing there, shocked that she had just poured out her heart and soul to him like that. It was everything he had ever wanted to hear from her...and more.

The brunette stood up and moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist placing soft kisses on his bare chest...uttering the words "I'm sorry" after every gentle peck.

His larger hands moved to either side of her face, moving her head so that she was looking up at him before he leaned down to place his lips on hers. Stephanie moved her hands up around his neck, pushing herself against him to deepen the kiss.

Scooping her up into his arms Chris carried her over to the bed and laid her down, he stopped when he saw the already wrinkled sheets beneath her, "Steph," He stated, breaking the kiss, "Listen Trish just left, we were in the process of..."

She cut him off already knowing what he was about to say, "So did you?" She asked, panting from the lack of air in the tumultuous kiss.

Chris shook his head, "No,"

A smile curled over her lips as she grabbed his neck pulling him down towards her so she could whisper in his ear, "Then make love to me Christopher, I love you so much."

He smiled back at her before climbing on top of her, reaching for the hem of her dress pants, unbuttoning them as fast as he could. Stephanie raised her hips upward impatiently to slide out of them as fast as he had them undone.

The Winnipeg native then proceeded to unclasp his own pants, leaving himself naked before her for the first time in what could only be described as 'to long'. She smirked at him as she fidgeted with the buttons of her blouse, sliding it down over her shoulders to reveal that she wasn't wearing a bra.

Instinctively his hand ran up her inner thigh, relishing the feeling of her soft skin under his rough hands, it really had been far too long. Yet in the same way that he felt they had been apart an eternity it was still as comfortable as if they had never been apart at all.

Stephanie moaned at his touch, craving more of him from the simple contact. His thumbs found the top of her lace underwear, pulling them down around her ankles.

Chris rested his body peacefully between her thighs, making her sigh in anticipation. He stared down at her unable to stop smiling, "You're so beautiful." The Winnipeg native told her before she grabbed him, kissing him again.

Slowly he entered her, stopping momentarily as she shifted her body to accommodate him. "I've missed you so much," She panted, locking her arms around him as he started moving again.

"I've missed you too," He moaned, the pleasure taking over as she gently rocked her hips to the rhythm he had set for them.

Afterwards they just lay there, nestling their sweaty bodies together. "That was...wow." He blurted, still trying to catch his breath.

Steph giggled as he traced soft circles on her arm with his index finger, "I hate that we've been apart so long." She whispered, feeling unbelievably happy to be in his arms again.

"Well now that you've left Paul we never have to know what it's like to be without each other ever again."

When she didn't say anything in response an unsettling feeling rose up from the pit of his stomach, "You did leave him right?" He asked, reiterating what he had previously said.

"Not exactly," She replied meekly, biting down on her bottom lip. "But..."

Chris jumped out of bed, and for the second time that day frantically hauled on his jeans, "Get out...." He demanded, flicking her clothes at her...except she didn't move, she didn't budge an inch. "I said get out..." He repeated, only this time his was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"But Chris I..."

He looked like he was about to explode from anger, "No excuses Stephanie, I'm tired of this shit. I thought you said things were different but there not, you're still doing the same old thing. Hopelessly devoted to an ass hole and crawling into bed with me on the side...no more I'm done." He told her, waving his hands back and forth to make his point clear.

She quickly got dressed, "Chris I..."

He cut her off again, "Just go Stephanie..."

Lowering her head she walked out of the room as he slammed the door behind her. She snapped her head back to hit off of the wood once it had shut completely, Stephanie knew she should have left Paul before she saw Chris but she did have every intention of doing it afterwards... if he took her back. Maybe that was selfish of her, making sure she had him before she took the risk of possibly being alone. But she was a normal insecure girl; she couldn't handle his rejection and then an empty house to go home to on top of that.

She was sure paying for it now though; her heart was most defiantly breaking.

Back inside Chris was on the verge of tears, how could she do this to him again? He was so confused, she promised things were different then broke his heart yet again. On top of that she wasn't the first girl in his bed that night, or the first he kicked out of it, what was he turning into?

Once again he got back in the bed, even if he didn't think he'd be getting much sleep. Why was love so cruel?


	12. Chapter 12

**one chapter left... thanks for sticking with me guys...read and review please.**

The next morning came slowly; it was only as the sun was coming up did Chris manage to drift into sleep. This wasn't the way his mother had raised him, he wasn't a cheater...yet last night he found himself in the arms of a woman who he didn't call his girlfriend. Last night his morals slipped through the cracks in the throws of passion.

And he wasn't just feeling that way because he didn't get what he wanted. Even if Stephanie was still there beside him, a free woman, he would have still felt just as guilty. Trish didn't deserve to be cheated on...she was just a sweet girl who didn't even know what the hell she was walking into. She didn't know about all this baggage, she didn't know that he was holding back from loving her because someone else still owned his heart. She didn't know anything.

He sighed and rolled out of the bed, he had to see her. Chris knew that he needed to find Trish and tell her exactly what had happened. He needed to explain the past and tell her that he was sorry for what he did to her. It seemed that he would forever be without the one he loved more then himself, but he still did have real feelings for Patricia. The feelings weren't the same, or as strong...yet he knew she was special to him. He wanted to tell her the truth, and maybe he could salvage some form of friendship with her. Chris knew that there was no way she could fully forgive him, but he hoped that she could accept the fact that he was sorry.

Grabbing a pair of pants and a t-shirt he hauled them on along with his shoes and took off for her room. It was only a few doors down so it wasn't long until he was standing in front of her door, hand curled into a fist and knocking.

She answered quickly, and Chris could see that her smile was being forced, "Feeling better?" She asked him, resting her head on the doorframe.

"I'm sorry about last night Trish," He replied, his voice hushed, "I think we both know I wasn't really sick."

It was then that Trish stopped pretending she was happy to see him, "Yeah I think we do," She spat, turning to slam the door.

His foot stopped it from closing, "Listen I deserve for you to swing this door as hard as you can and break every bone in my foot right now....But I'm asking you not to and to let me in, we really need to talk."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, "Fine." She told him, stepping aside so he could make his way into the hotel room.

Chris took a seat on the small chair across from the bed, "Listen last night...last night..." The Canadian man stopped and ran a hand back through his hair, how did he start?

"Spit it out," She stated, suddenly loosing any and all patience she had for him.

His face fell into his own hands for a moment, "Ok I'm just going to come out with it, I couldn't sleep with you last night because I wasn't ready."

Her head titled to the side as she folded her arms over her chest, "You weren't ready, what kind of excuse is that? I want the truth Chris, do I disgust you or something?"

"God no," He said, jumping to his feet and moving to her side, "It's nothing like that, my body wanted too, I mean really really wanted to. But my heart just wasn't there, and it wasn't fair to me or to you to take that big step when I wasn't ready. The truth is that I still have very strong feelings for someone else."

Tears filled her eyes, "Stephanie."

A sudden look of shock washed over his face, "How'd you know it was her?"

Her palms found her face, pushing the tears from eyes, "A lot of people know Chris; hell Paul is probably one of the only people who doesn't know...Locker room secrets are hard to keep."

"And you pursued me anyway?"

She laughed a little, "Yeah I was dumb enough to think that you'd put her behind you."

Chris took her hand, "I'm sorry that I've caused you so much pain..." His thumb brushed over her fingers, "But I came here to be completely honest with you..." She looked at him and instantly knew that he was about to tell her something big. "Last night," He started, the shame cutting into his voice, "I slept with Stephanie..."

"You what?!" She yelled, dropping his hand and moving back away from him.

"I was so confused, she showed up after you left telling me she loved me. She was telling me that she had been wrong to stay with Paul, that she needed me in her life... It was everything I ever wanted to here from her. Then one thing led to another and we wound up in bed together. But it turned out that she hadn't left Paul like I thought she did, and now I'm more confused then ever. Yet no matter what I was feeling you didn't deserve that, I'm so sorry Trish."

The blonde let out the breath that she had been holding in, as angry as she was it didn't change the fact that she cared about him. "Well what do you want?"

He looked up at her, "Honestly? I don't know...."

"I should hate you Chris, any normal woman would slap you so hard right now that your grandparents would feel it..."

He cut her off, "And I deserve that..."

"But I can't do it; I care about you too much Chris. It hurts to know that she's still in your heart and that I'm not in there...but I don't want to give up on you, if there's even a slight chance that this could work out for us. If you don't want to move on, then let me go...but if you're ready to let somebody into your life who loves you and only you...then I'm right here." Chris opened his mouth but before he could speak she put her fingers to his lips to silence him, "Don't say anything, not yet."

He nodded and got up to go... he knew without anymore words that it was what she wanted. His mind was racing, how had he left there with more questions then answers?

Trish wiped the last of her tears away as he walked out the door. She was in love with someone who belonged to someone else...was that really what she wanted out of life?

Chris had only been gone maybe five minutes when there was another knock on the door. She had no idea who it could be, it was still pretty early and she wasn't expecting anyone.

Her expression turned to confusion when she saw Jay standing on the other side of the door, "What are you doing here?" She asked, completely bewildered at the sight of him.

He didn't say a word, he simply put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her in to kiss her like he'd wanted to last night. His tongue parted her lips and tangled with hers urgently, then finally pulling back he smiled. "I've been wanting to do that since last night, I've be awake all night kicking myself in the ass for not doing it. I like you Trish, weather Chris is my best friend or not, I can't hide that any longer. You don't deserve to be second best. "

She put her hand to her lips, completely shocked.

"Remember that." He told her, leaving just as quickly he had came.

Trish just stood there...stunned.


	13. Chapter 13

**So this was SUPPOSED to be the last chap, but I felt like it was too long for one chapter, so I broke it up. Read and review please :) Last chapter is practically finished so the more reviews i get for this one, the quicker i'll pop it up. sad to see this one end...but then again kinda happy since im way in over my head with all the stuff i have going on. **

Chris didn't know what to do, he hated that he was in this situation in the first place but now that he _was_ in it and stuck in it, he had to make a decision. He ran a hand back through his long hair as he sat down on the bed to think. This sure had been a roller coaster for him, he'd been in love and lost it...found the time to heal, found someone new, only to realise that the past wasn't exactly staying in the past after all.

Stephanie, just saying her name brought him the weirdest mixture of happiness and sorrow that he had ever felt in his life. It was like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't be away from her. It was like he could run as fast as he could in the other direction but like a sling shot he was flung back towards the brunette even faster.

Chris felt like he was tethered to her, and didn't know how to cut the rope. She'd been his everything for so long, and then she crushed his dreams and his heart with one swift blow...telling him what felt like forever ago, that she couldn't leave Paul. But then just when he thought he'd finally managed to heal she walked back into his life, confusing the hell out him.

He was just trying to move on and she couldn't seem to let him. Stephanie had used every trick in the book to try and sway him back into her web. Granted he wasn't so sure he wanted to stay out of it. It took everything he had to say no to her advances, he wanted to build something real with Trish, but he just couldn't seem to feel that strongly for her. He loved Stephanie, he knew that, it was apparent when he finally did fall back into bed with her.

But then he was demolished yet again when he found out that she didn't leave her husband like he had thought, she wasn't willing to give him up in exchange for a happy life with him. Chris didn't understand her, one minute she was swearing her love from him...telling him everything he ever wanted to hear and then yet she couldn't do the one thing he needed her to do for him. She said she didn't love Paul, but then why was he the one with the ring on his finger?

Then of course there was Trish, she was smart and funny, she was sweetheart who he was lucky to have in his life. Not to mention the fact that she was a head to toe bombshell, that definitely didn't hurt. She'd been the first woman he'd let into his life since Stephanie, and she was the first person to make him feel worthy in a long time. To anyone she could be described simply as breathtaking perfection... she loved him and she had a heart of pure gold. But she wasn't Stephanie, and he both loved and hated that about her.

He thought he needed someone different then her, he thought that trying to make things work with Trish would make everything else go away. Chris knew he cared about her, and thought that maybe she would be the one to help him get through all this. He didn't love her, but he thought maybe he could grow to love her. She was willing to give him another chance, she knew about Stephanie and was still willing to love him. He just wasn't sure that was what he wanted.

Things just had to be complicated.

Chris laid back onto the soft bed and stared up at the white tiled ceiling.

Suddenly his cell phone vibrated across the night stand. Rolling over her flipped it open and checked the caller Id. He was shocked to see the display read "Stephanie".

The Canadian groaned, voice mail could get it...he wasn't in the mood for her games right now.

His eyes got heavy, and soon enough he drifted into a deep sleep...his mind racing with images of both Trish and Stephanie. Even in his dreams he couldn't escape the situation at hand.

Tossing and turning all night Chris just couldn't couldn't find the peace he was seeking. Yet just when he finally seemed to be resting with them haunting him, there was a knock at his door. His eyes opened and he rolled over to glance at the clock, focusing his gaze he realised that the neon display was glowing six A.M.

Turning out of bed the Canadian stumbled to the door, who in the name of god could possibly be looking for him? They didn't have an early flight, he wasn't planning a work out and it was certainly too early for it to be his continental breakfast...

His hand found his mouth as a yawn escaped his throat, "Who is it?" He hollered, grabbing the chain lock and unlatching it.

"Dude it's me, Jay, open up..."

Chris rubbed his eyes feverishly as he opened the door for his friend, "Someone better be dead..." He groaned, walking back towards his bed as Jason made his way into the hotel room.

Running a hand back over his head Jay sighed, "It could be me."

The other man flopped back onto the mattress, extremely annoyed with his comrade."I'm really not in the mood for trying to figure out what the hell you're talking about, so either spit it out or get out."

"I kissed Trish." He blurted.

That caught Chris's attention, as he bolted completely upright, "You what?"

Jay sat down on the corner of the bed, "I can't keep this up man," He said softly, "I really like her, and it sucks so much to watch you parade around with her on her arm because it's convenient. I know that you aren't trying to hurt her Chris, but also know that you love Stephanie..." He paused for a moment and stood up, his arms flailing in the air, "Hell you probably always will love Steph. Is that fair to anyone here?"

He shook his head, partially in disbelief and partially because he knew that Jay was completely right. "You think I don't know that? It only keeps me awake at night." He looked his friend in the eyes, gauging his reaction. "So you're saying that you love Trish?"

Rubbing the back of his neck Jay sighed again, "No, not yet I don't, but I know that I could love her...and I know that you can't."

Chris didn't know what to do, he felt like he should be angry with Jay. After all his best friend has just admitted to kissing his girlfriend, as a normal human being he should want to knock him out...But he kind of...sort of...just wanted to hug him instead. It was almost a sigh of relief knowing that he wasn't the only one who doubted his feelings for Trish.

But what exactly did that mean?


	14. Chapter 14

**The end you guys, thanks for all the reviews and for sticking with me throughout this fic even when i wasnt feeling it for a while. hope you like it :)**

Silence filled the room, Chris just didn't know what to say. But then, as if on some divine cue, his cell phone vibrated across the night stand for the second time that evening...causing a distraction for the two Canadians. "Are you going to get that?" Jay asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets in the awkwardness of the situation.

Picking up the phone Chris flipped it open, realising that it wasn't really a call at all, but just a reminder that he had yet to answer his voice mail. He still wasn't sure he was ready to hear from Stephanie, but weighing the other option it seemed like he would rather hear her out then have to decide what to do about Jay at the moment. Punching in his security code and then the few more buttons required, the message began to play.

"Chris?" She began her voice questioning, she was obviously trying to figure out if she was talking to him or a machine. He could hear her sigh on the recording, when she realised that it was the latter of the two.

There was a moment of quiet in the message before she continued."It's me...Stephanie. I know you don't want to hear from me, but please listen to this. I truly am sorry Christopher, I love you, and I never meant to cause you any more pain and heart ache then I already have in the past. But right now I just need you to know that last night wasn't a lie...I meant every word I said to you. It was wrong for me to stay with Paul, and I was wrong not to tell you upfront that I still hadn't left him. I just missed you so much, and it broke my heart into a million pieces to see you with Trish...But if she makes you happy...then I'm happy. I just hope that I haven't ruined everything for you with her, because all I really want is your happiness Chris."

There was another long pause, "I know I certainly don't deserve you're forgiveness, I just really needed you to know that I truly do love you. And that I would give my own life for yours any day of the week...that's my true definition of love Chris...caring more about someone else then yourself. My heart knows that I would never do that for Paul...he was a terrible mistake on my part, I thought that doing what my father wanted would be better for me. And I also thought I could mould him into someone to love, someone like you...."

She paused again for a moment and Chris could tell that she was crying now. "When I didn't leave him Christopher, I was being selfish. I was afraid that maybe you wouldn't want me back anyway, and I couldn't bear the thought of being completely alone... so I waited. That wasn't fair, and I'm really really sorry."

Her voice was breaking through her tears, and he could hear her trying to hold back from sobbing loudly into the receiver. "Not that it matters now," She continued, "...I don't expect you to come running back to me, but I did leave him. I know now that staying with someone because you feel obligated, or alone...is stupid. I just wish I would have seen what was really important before I made the worst decisions of my life." The brunette stopped again, seeming almost unsure of what to say next, "Well I better go, how pathetic is it to poor your heart out to a machine? Especially since you've probably hung up already, but if you're still listening I'd like to say thank you for every happy moment you gave me, I'll cherish my time with you forever."

The sound of a click brought Chris out of the daze he had been in while listening. He looked over to see Jay completely stunned, and knew that it must have been loud enough for him to hear her.

"Wow." The Ontario native blurted.

Chris ran his hand back through his hair, "Uh, yeah."

"So what are you going to do here bro? Keep Stringing Trish along, or finally be with the woman of your dreams."

He sighed in response, "Do you really think it's that simple, I want it to be real, but do you really think Paul is out of the picture this time?"

Jay smiled, "After that message? I'd say he's a goner," His newly serious expression turned back into a gentle smile as he patted his friend on the shoulder, "Better watch your back bro," Jason told him, "But I think you know what you have to do here."

"I think I do."

* * *

The Winnipeg native came to a stop in front of room three thirty five, he sighed as his hand connected with the door.

He scuffed his feet around a little as he waited anxiously for her to answer, he knew that he was doing the right thing.

Soon enough he was met with her warm smile, "Chris..." She said cheerfully, watching as he walked into the room. "I really wasn't expecting to see you."

Taking a seat he just looked up at her, this was going to be hard.

"So you've thought about what I said?`` She asked, sitting down beside him and grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, I have," He told her, finally turning to look in her eyes, "And I know that you really love me, and I'm blessed to have that...because I really don't deserve it."

She smiled again, thumbing the back of his hand, "Sure you do."

"Trish, this is the hardest decision I've ever had to make," Chris confessed, squeezing her hand tighter, "But I can't be with you." It wasn't hard to tell that she was on the verge of tears, "I love Stephanie, and it wouldn't be fair to you to pretend that I didn't. You're smart, and funny, and beautiful...and god Trish you're so many things that any man would want."

She looked down, "Just not what you want..."

He tilted her face upward, "If my heart didn't already belong to someone else, then I'm sure that in an instant I could love you." Trish did her best to smile at the sweet gesture, "You deserve to be put above everything else Patricia, I can't do that, but I really think you should give Jay a chance to."

"You know about me and Jay?"

Chris smiled back at her, "Yeah, and I really think he's the better man for you."

Trish knew that there was no changing his mind, no matter how much she wanted to. But maybe he was right, maybe she could find happiness with Jason.

Kissing her on the cheek Chris got up to go, "Friend's?" He asked.

She stood up beside him and hugged him tightly, her face nuzzling into his shoulder, "Always."

Not wanting to drag out the awkwardness any longer he left, besides...he another stop to make.

* * *

Taking his time he drove down the highway in Tampa, making his way to the Arena where that afternoon's show was being held. He knew that even thought it was early she would already be there, fretting over the line up and the production in general. Chris thought about waiting till after the live event to see her, but he couldn't...this just couldn't wait.

He parked his car and headed inside, starting his search for her. Deciding that there was far too much ground to cover in the arena on his own Chris instead opted to find the nearest backstage assistant and ask if they knew where Stephanie might be.

It was extremely frustrating when no one around seemed to have any idea where she was. He was just so damn anxious to find her, but then again he'd waited this long...he could manage a few more minutes. Pacing back and forth he waited for one of the production managers to find her location via walkie talkie, and when at last he found her Chris took off like his life depended on it.

But when he found himself outside of the room, just a door separating him from the one he knew was _the one _he couldn't seem to find the strength to knock. He had been waiting so long for this moment that he was so scared that at any minute he would wake up, and it would all just be another dream.

His hand ran down over the window in the door, peering inside he could see her sitting at her desk, berried in paper work, looking stunning with her hair pulled up tight, in the glow of the lamp light. Instead of stirring the image of perfection he slowly turned the metal knob and crept carefully inside.

She didn't look up until he sat down in the chair across from her, "Working hard or hardly working?"

Startled she gazed up at him in awestruck wonder, "Chris?" She whispered, seeming to be just as afraid as he was that this was all just some dream, that he wasn't really there in front of her.

His face was instantly taken over by a smile, "Stephanie," He said back, slightly mocking her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, still sounding completely bewildered at the sight of him.

Chris just kept smiling as he stood up and walked around the wooden structure to get closer to her. "Well this pretty amazing girl left me one hell of a message last night..."

"Chris I..."

He cut her off, "I love you."

She stared at him, "You what?" She questioned. She was expecting him to tell her that he was going to stay with with Trish, not make that kind of admittance.

"I love you," He repeated, "Everything you said to me realise that no matter what, whether you ever left Paul or not, that it wouldn't change the fact that I can't live with you."

Pausing for a moment he tenderly touched the side of her face before lingering his finger down over her cheek before tracing the outline of jaw, "When you told me how you knew that what you felt for me wasn't the same as what you felt for him, how what you were doing wasn't fair...it just made me realise that I was doing the exact same thing. I was trying to make her into someone I _could_ love, when I already love you. And as sweet and as wonderful as Trish is...I do not, and could not, ever feel for her... the way that I feel about you."

It was her turn to smile widely as she jumped up to wrap her arms around him, "The divorce papers have been sitting in my desk for forever, I signed them when I left your hotel room. And Paul was served with them this morning...soon enough I'll legally be single."

He squeezed her tightly, "You'll never be single with me around."

She pulled back to lock her lips with his, "I love you Christopher."

"I love you too Sweet cheeks."

Stephanie just continued to smile, adoring the sound of the nickname rolling of his tongue. Even if way back when he had dubbed her that she had hated, it was now the sweetest sound in the world.

* * *

Two women, one man, both had shared his bed, but only one had truly held his heart. One was practical, the other filled with passion, one was for comfort, the other fueld by intensity. Trish was a friend, and Stephanie was forever. Both of them were incredible, and both of them were different...but at the end of the day, he knew exactly where he was supposed to lay his head at night.

* * *

**-FIN-**


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